“Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.”~ Ronald Reagan, Jan. 20, 1981

Lord of the RLC #10: Breakup of the Fellowship

Dubin and Bolyard checkmate RLC, defeat Ron Paul’s principles

On Saturday, April 27, the Republican Liberty Caucus of Washington held its first Convention [at least the first of the current charter; the National RLC has been around (with appearing and disappearing State Charters) for more than 20 years].

The explosion of members in Washington State before the Convention might be attributed to a number of factors, but among them must be the salutary efforts of its leadership team, its chair, Sandi Belzer Brendale, and the resounding send-off given by the “Freedom Agenda” State legislators at the RLCWA Kickoff. That group, highlighted by Matt Shea, also included David Taylor, Jason Overstreet and Elizabeth Scott. Their speeches at the Kickoff were inspiring and so wonderfully out-of-character for politicians (they were principled), it is fair to call them astonishing.

But the key element in making the RLCWA (for a time) the fastest growing State Charter in America, in our opinion, was the vacuum left after the Ron Paul Presidential Campaign, by the Campaign for Liberty’s top-down national leaders. The question continually asked during 2008 by anyone who saw the enormous raw strength of the movement was, “What happens to this political force when the campaign is over?” For five years the answer from C4L leadership has been “it becomes our cash cow.”

Their behavior proved to anyone experienced and watching that there was no hope in the national Campaign for Liberty – its status as Ron Paul’s political armchair notwithstanding. And Washington State (due at least partially to Reagan Wing reporting) has been a bit ahead of most states in recognizing the fact. That’s why, for instance, the Washington State C4L was liberated from the duplicity of the national “professionals.”

So, as of its January Kickoff, the (formerly toothless 1980s relic) Republican Liberty Caucus, (previously unknown in Washington except as a nice name) inherited the potential mantle of the Ron Paul Movement.

The Republican Liberty Caucus of Washington (RLCWA) convention on April 27, even despite its promising openness, may someday be recognized as its internment. The precarious coalition Ron Paul brought together (described here) went on trial in the RLCWA Convention.

The April Convention might have been unrecognizable for activists who were not involved in the Republican Party prior to the 21st Century. It was a real convention… in contrast to the dog-and-pony-shows run (since 2000) by the GOP every two years for entertainment purposes.

Despite the ceaselessly repeated efforts by some to close debate and adopt every top-down proposal as written, the body fought its way through to function as one does in a real Convention.

The aforementioned Sandi Brendale was elected to chair the meeting and her performance so far surpassed Kirby Wilbur, Luke Esser, Michael Young, and any other pretender we’ve seen presiding at either at the King County or Washington State deliberative simulations, it’s not even fair to compare them. No doubt much of what transpired made her cringe, but she stayed (with few exceptions) true to the mission: to preside, impartially, according to the rules. And the result, (as often prophesied here) was the flowering of participatory politics.

Activists who have never before had the opportunity, engaged in debate without fear of being squelched, far into the evening, right up til the appearance of the much-vaunted Jordan Page concert.

But in the final analysis, it all went for naught.

It is now clear to us that the purposes for which we believed the RLC had been formed have been indefinitely suspended, internally. Unanticipated by most of its members at the time, the organization is now shackled by national rules that prevent any effective operations and, without some miraculous intervention or internal insurrection, will join the scrap heap of organizations who began with the potential to lead the Washington State Republican Party out of the hands of Mainstream Republicans of Washington, but settled instead, for some lesser purpose. The RLCWA was led to settle, at their first state convention, by Judas-goats whose natural home really is NOT the Republican Party.

The nature of the power struggle (articulated in metaphor by the spiritual and political landscape of Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings saga) became clear at the RLCWA Convention, exemplified by yet another humble “Hobbit” – a “ring bearer” notwielding the Ring’s power – demonstrably NOT holding great worldly power, each a stone “the builders refused.” Like the relatively unknown Congressman Ron Paul, who, by standing for Constitutional Liberty in the GOP, effectively induced Republican Suicide around its leaders’ corruption, relative newcomer Clayton Strang, by standing for a Paul principle, Unalienable Rights, induced the RLCWA to self-imposed futility around its leaders’ selfish ambition. Who would have thought those two could do so much damage to those whose quest was power?

In both cases, the RLC and the GOP, we have illustrations of the profound effect of leaders to determine the outcome of organizations, the apparent intent of their followers notwithstanding.

All the masks came off at the RLCWA Convention for those willing to look. Wisdom cried forth her voice from the Convention. She shouted in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: she uttered her words, saying, “How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.”

He that hathearstohear, let him hear.

IN FOUR ACTS the RLCWA Convention broke the Washington State Fellowship created by Ron Paul (like the fellowship of elves, men, and dwarves). It divided the Constitutional Coalition of all conservatives that Paul had brought together, splitting off a relatively small sub-group, the “classical libertarians” for whom Cultural Marxism is regarded as “liberty.”

And alone, that subgroup, as exemplified by the history of the national RLC and the Libertarian Partyfor all their decades, is destined to be a permanent minority.

THE FOUR ACTS OF THE CONVENTION and the AFTERMATH

I. The “Agenda” and “conspiracy”

II. The By-laws and futility

III. Rejecting the principle of non-aggression.

IV. Embracing epistemological relativism

Following the Convention, key leaders began to act more like ring-wearers that ring bearers. More like the Ringwraiths than the Fellowship. (continued, below mural)

LOTR Mural courtesy of Dr Jeep

It is our intention to examine, step by step, what has happened to the RLCWA as a first step to its repair, if that is still possible. The road to unity is not abandoning or apologizing for the truth, but by the truth becoming the common standard.

2 Responses

Well said. The ability to bring to coalition back together will take strong leadership and a common cause. Just a modernized comment from my alter-ego Samuel Adams in a 1771 letter to Arthur Lee:
“Your Letter of the 31 Decr which I receivd by Cap Scott a few days past affords me great Satisfaction; especially as it promises a Correspondence which I dare say will be carried on with an Openness & Sincerity becoming those who are anxiously concernd for the publick Liberty at so alarming a Crisis. Perhaps there never was a time when the political Affairs of America were in a more dangerous State; Such is the Indolence (wanting to avoid activity or exertion; lazy.) of Men in general, or their Inattention to the real Importance of things, that a steady & animated perseverance in the rugged path of Virtue at the hazard of trifles (a thing of little value or importance) is hardly to be expected. The Generality (the majority) are necessarily engaged in Application to private Business for the Support of their own families and when at a lucky Season the publick are awakened to a Sense of Danger, & a manly resentment is enkindled, it is difficult, for so many separate Communities as there are in all the Colonies (individual States), to agree in one consistent plan of Opposition while those who are the appointed Instruments of Oppression (the bureaucrats as in the IRS, EPA and other agencies not established directly in the Constitution), have all the Means put into their hands, of applying to the passions of Men & availing themselves of the Necessities of some, the Vanity of others & the timidity of all.
I have long thought that a Design has been on foot to render ineffectual the Democratical part of this Government, even before the province was cursd with the Appointment of Bernard (federal bureaucrats), and so unguarded have the people been in former times, so careless in the Choice of their representatives as to send too many who either through Ignorance or Wickedness have favord that Design…”

“When we contemplate the fall of empires and the extinction of the nations of the Ancient World, we see but little to excite our regret than the mouldering ruins of pompous palaces, magnificent museums, lofty pyramids and walls and towers of the most costly workmanship; but when the empire of America shall fall, the subject for contemplative sorrow will be infinitely greater than crumbling brass and marble can inspire. It will not then be said, here stood a temple of vast antiquity; here rose a babel of invisible height; or there a palace of sumptuous extravagance; but here, Ah, painful thought! the noblest work of human wisdom, the grandest scene of human glory, the fair cause of Freedom rose and fell. Read this, and then ask if I forget America. – Thomas Paine [To: George Washington – 30 July 1796 – On Paine’s Service to America]”